Resource Conservation Through Beverage-Container Recycling (Polyester (PET) Bottles)

摘要

Since the introduction of plastic soft-drink bottles in 1977, the 2 liter container has captured almost the entire US market. The number of PET (polyethylene terephthalate, a polyester) bottles used in 1981 was 2.4 billion, and could grow to 14 billion by 1990 if the penetration into the 1/2 liter market is as rapid as some experts predict. Consumers value the PET bottle's light weight and unbreakability. However, plastic bottles are made from oil and gas feedstocks which are imported and becoming more expensive. Recycling drastically reduces the oil and gas required to supply these bottles; recycling PET from bottles to other uses could save on the order of 6 million barrels of oil equivalent per year by 1990. A simple and economic technology is available for performing this recovery yet only 5% of the bottles used in 1980 were returned. What is missing is an effective inducement for bottle return. The reverse-vending machines that are proposed can provide part of that inducement by eliminating the inconvenience that now surrounds the sale of empty bottles to recyclers. These machines would dispense coins in return for empty PET bottles, and these machines could be located in supermarkets or their parking lots. It is believed that the design, construction, and use of such machines is an opportunity that has been overlooked. (ERA citation 08:029839)